Elevator safety gate



S. SAMUEL ELEVATOR SAFETY GATE Filed June 1, 1934 Fig. l

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L lll 24 ATTORNEY MUEL.

March 5,19 5. s. SAMUEL 1,993,285

ELEVATOR SAFETY GATE Filed June 1. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2. Fig. 4. w; Z93 5 20 I3 f INVENTOR SIGMUND SAM UEL ATTORN EY W WW Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFeFrc-E 1,993,285 e .-,ELEVATCR-SAFETY GATE Sigmund Samuel, -York, Pa. ApplicationJune '1, 193 4,;Serial No. 728,466 3 Claims. (01.. 187-51) Referring to the drawings, the elevator'll is Thepresent invention relates togates or guards for closing the shafts of freight elevators and more particularly to .downwardly collapsible gates or. guards .for use in basements of buildings ihaving elevator shaft pits.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved downwardly collapsible gate or guard for closing the basement-portion ofan elevator shaft when the elevatorjis above :the basement.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved elevator gate or guard'which can be easily collapsed in a comparatively shallow :pit in the basement floor of a building.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide an improved elevator gate or guard which is automatically downwardly collapsed when the elevator descends and automatically extended when the elevator ascends.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved safety guard or gate for elevator shafts of the character mentioned, which is simple in construction, and reliable and exact in function under .all conditions of service. 1

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in 'the construction, arrangement and combination of the several par-ts of which it is composed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away ofan elevator shaft having my invention installed therein, the elevator'being shown raised :with the safety gate closing the elevator shaft;

Fig. 2 is -a section taken on the'line '2-2 .of Fig. 1, showing a plan of one-end of the gate and its associated structure;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the structure shown in Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail elevation of the upper left hand corner of the gate;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectiontaken on 55 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the lower left hand corner of the elevator shaft the line showing the elevator down and the gate collapsed.

This invention is primarily adapted for use with a freight elevator of the type usually installed in a commercial establishment, and more particularly the invention aims to provide a safeguard for the elevator shaft in the basement of a commercial establishment, so that when the elevator is raised above the basement floor, persons will be prevented from entering the elevator shaft and falling down into the pit in the bottom of the shaft.

disposed within a. shaft 12.

the walls 13 :of the elevator .shaft.

The shaft 12 has oppositeside walls 13, and saidlshaft extends downwardly below the level of the floor 14, thereby forming a pit '15 which may belof any depth. The bottom 16 of- :the pit 15-is usually disposed-at such a distance below the floor 14, that the elevator 611, when lowered, can be brought by the operator, into alinement with the level of the floor, as shown in Fig. .6.

In order to provide. a 'barrierorgate forclosing the front of-the elevator shaft .12 when the .elevator 11 is raised .abovethe floor 14, I utilize a vertically movable member .orlgate 17. The gate 17 is adapted to be downwardlycollapsed during the descent-of theelevator :toward the floor 14, as shown in Fig. 6, and to be automatically .expanded or extended when the elevator ascends from the floor 14, as shown inFi'gul. 1

For the purpose of mounting the member or gate 17 in'the elevator shaft 12, I utilize a pair of vertically disposed guide members 18, which are mounted .on the opposite'side walls 13 of ,the

elevator shaft, as shown in Figs. 11, 2, 3 and 6.

The guide members 18 may the in .the form of bars of angle irons. These angleironshave one side portion fastened by any suitable mannerito The other side 19 of each angle iron projects outwardlyfrom the wall 13 for a purpose torbe hereinafter more 4 fully described. I

The gate 17 may comprise upper and lower substantially horizontal rigid :members 20 and 21, respectively, and. .an intermediate flexible member 22.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rigidmembers 20 and 21 are'preferably constructed from bars 'of-angle irons of suitable length to span the opening of the elevator'shaft. I

Atleach end, the bars -20 and '21, .are,respec'- *tively, formed with a member or shoe .23, 24.

Each shoe has a slot 25 formed therein, as shown in Fig. 2, for;.engaging withthe .-,projecting portion *19 of the -vertical guide :18.

The member or portion 22 of the gate 1'7 may be constructed from any suitable flexible material. In the preferred embodiment of the invention and in actual practice, a rectangular piece of heavy duck, canvas, or other suitable fabric, has r tions of the fabric and then stitching the same to the main body of the material, as indicated at 36, Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The loops 35 may be made large enough so that the bars 20 and 21 can be inserted therethrough.

When the gate is in a raised position, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the lower bar 21 will serve as means for maintaining the portion 22 of the gate taut.

Each upper shoe 23 is formed with an opening 27, as shown in Fig. 2, for receiving the end of a rope or cable 28 which is secured to the shoe by any suitable manner.

The ropes or cables 28 are, respectively, looped over grooved guide wheels or sheaves 29 carried by brackets 30 which in turn are supported by the side walls 13 of the elevator shaft 12.

The free end of each rope or cable 28 is connected to a weight 31.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the portions of the ropes or cables 28 which extend from the guide wheels or sheaves 29 downwardly to the weights 31, may be enclosedin a housing 32. The hous- -ing32 may be formed from sheet metal which is bent to provide the rectangular structure illus trated. The housing 32 is open at both ends. By utilizing a housing for the free end and weighted. portion of each rope or cable, the latter will be prevented from swinging into contact with either the elevator 11 or the gate 17.

In order to limit the upward movement of the gate" 17 the two guide bars 18 carry, near the upper ends thereof, stop members 33, in the form .of pins, bolts or the like, which project outwardly in the path of the ends of the upper cross bars 20 of the gate 17, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In operation, when the elevator 11 is disposed a distance above the floor, 14, the gate 17' will be in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the shoes 23 abut the stop pins 33, so that the gate 17 is disposed in front of the elevator shaft, with the bottom portion thereof spaced slightly above the floor 14. In this position the gate 17 will prevent persons from entering the elevator shaft.

When the elevator 11 moves downwardly the bottom thereof engages the upper crossbar 22 of the gate 17 and moves the same downwardly. During this action the weights 31 are pulled upwardly. r.

- In the initial downward movement of the gate 17, the entire gate structure will descend in a taut position until the lower cross bar 21 rests on the bottom 16 of the pit 15 of the elevator shaft 12. Continued downward .movement of the elevator 11 will move the upper cross bar 20 towards the stationary lower cross bar 21, with the result that the flexible portion 22 of the gate 1'7 is collapsed'or folded together. 'When the elevator 11 has been brought into alinement with the floor'14, as shown in Fig. 6, the collapsed gate of the gate 17, will pull the gate upwardly, the upper cross bar 20 thereof remaining in engagement with the underside of the elevator until the upward vertical movement of the gate is arrested when the shoes 23 engage the stop pins 33. During the upward movement of the elevator and gate, the folded portion of the gate will gradually unfold, so that when the elevator has ascended, the gate will be restored to the condition illustrated in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A safety gate for elevators having a shaft formed with a pit at the bottom thereof, comprising vertical guide bars, a gate embodying horizontally disposed upper and lower bars having their ends operatively connected to said vertical guide bars, a flexible foldable fabric intermediatesaid upper and lower bars and constituting the main body of the gate, counterweight means for normally maintaining the gate in raised position when the elevator is raised, and

means carried by the vertical guide bars for engaging the end portions of the horizontal bar at the top of the gate for limiting the upward movement of the gate under the influence of said counterweight means.

2. A safety gate for elevator shafts having a pit below the level of a floor, comprising a pair 'of opposed vertical guide bars, a gate slidably mounted in the elevator shaft andincluding upper and lower rigid horizontal bars, guide means on the extremity of said horizontal bars for engaging said vertical bars, a flexible sheet of material connected to said horizontal bars and constituting the main body of the gate, a sheave mounted on the side wall of the elevator shaft adjacent each end of the gate, said sheaves being disposed above the top of the gate when said gate is in raised position, a rope trained over each sheave, said rope having one end secured to the upper horizontal bar of the gate near the end thereof,

a weight secured to the other end of the rope whereby said gate is normally pulled upwardly, and means for limiting the upward movement of the gate, said gate being downwardly collapsible in the pit of the elevator shaft when the elevator structure composed of a flexible fabric, rigid members at the upper and lower edges of the fabric, guide bars in the elevator shaft, means operatively connecting the rigid members of the gate with said guide bars whereby said gate is free to slide upwardly and downwardly in the shaft, counterweight means for normally maintaining said gate raised, means for limiting the upward movement of said gate in the shaft, said gate being downwardly collapsible in the pit of the elevator shaft when the elevator descends into said pit.

SIGMUND SAMUEL. 

